The Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act of 2017 (Canada)

In June Ontario lawmakers passed Bill 89, also known as “The Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act of 2017,” by a vote of 63 to 23. The new law replaces the Child and Family Services Act and adds “gender identity” and “gender expression” to the list of factors to be considered when determining “the best interests of the child” and instructs parents to “to direct the child’s or young person’s education and upbringing, in accordance with the child’s or young person’s creed, community identity and cultural identity.”

According to the bill’s founder, Michael Coteau, “I would consider that a form of abuse, when a child identifies one way and a caregiver is saying no, you need to do this differently.”